Cut Away Your Pretty Mask of Flesh
by The Cheeze Warrior
Summary: Laurie thought she lost her chance. She thought she’d never be able to tell Annie how she felt. She didn’t want to live in a world that didn’t include Annie. But then... Annie survived. (Begins immediately after the end of RZ’s Halloween, to eventualy move through the second film and beyond)
1. 1 - After the Storm of big-ass knives

_Dead._

 _Dead._

 _Dead._

Every step is punctuated by the same word repeating itself to no end in Laurie's mind. The blood of... **_him_** is dripping from her face (the patches that are still moist enough to drip. Most of it has been there so long it's dried.).

How long has she been walking now? Everything hurts. Is that from the walking, or from the damage done by the man? Man? No, no man. A monster. The Bogeyman. Death. The devil? Possibly. The devil having taken the shape of a man. The shape.

 _Dead._

 _Dead._

 _He's dead._

 _I killed him._

 _I killed the devil._

 _I killed the shape._

 _Annie._

That thought stops her in her tracks. The gun drops from Laurie's hand and clatters to the asphalt.

 _Annie._

 _Annie's dead._

 _I never told her._

 _Now I never can._

 _Annie's dead._

The eyes that were only moments ago glazed over with a dimness seen only in the gaze of the dead have now flooded with a horrible pain sharper than any knife. Her vision is blurred as those eyes flood with burning tears that refuse to fall. Laurie's breathing which was automatic and smooth before, now is a chore to draw in and push back out. She feels like the Shape has it's impossibly strong hands around her throat.

Laurie doesn't notice the red and blue lights flashing around her as the car comes to a stop behind her. She doesn't notice the sound of the car door slamming shut, or even the footsteps approaching.

"Laurie?"

The deputy walks into her line of sight and looks horrified as he drinks in the sight of the blood soaked teenage girl. He reaches out to lay a hand on her arm. The contact Laurie notices.

Her eyes snap up to the deputy in fright. The deputy pulls the offending hand back and lifts both of his hands to show her he means no harm.

"Didn't mean to scare you, darlin'. Everyone's been looking for you. Why don't you come with me? We gotta get you to a doctor."

Laurie doesn't seem to react to his words, but she doesn't resist as he guides her to the passenger seat of the police car.

 _Annie's dead._

Laurie hasn't said a word since arriving at the hospital. She just sat, staring into space as she was stripped, cleaned of the blood covering her, and redressed in one of the hospital gowns. She was catatonic still when they saw to her wounds. Since, she's just lain on the bed, antibiotics pumping into her veins, just listening to the steady _beep beep beep_ ing of her vitals.

It hasn't occurred yet to her that her parents haven't come to see her. The first visitor she's to have enters the room now, hours after her arrival. Sheriff Brackett, Annie's father, enters the hospital room looking more tired than she'd ever seen him. It seems in the twelve or so hours since she saw him last he's aged another five years. His bushy mustache looking more wiry and grey than ever, and the bags beneath his eyes more like suitcases in size and weight. He lets out a sigh so heavy and full of relief, you'd think the weight of the world was just lifted from his shoulders.

"Thank god you're okay." He lets the words out, then moves to sit in the chair by the bed.

"What do you remember? The doc said you blacked out or something."

When she doesn't reply, still staring blankly, his brow crinkles in worry. "Or maybe she said you **are** blacked out."

No response.

He sighs again, the stress seemingly renewed. "I wanna thank you, kid. You didn't do what you did, that monster would still be running around out there. He almost certainly would've killed Annie if it weren't for you."

Now **that** gets her attention. Laurie snaps her head toward Sheriff Brackett, then speaks-

"What?"

Sheriff Brackett smiles with relief.

"Glad to see you wrastled your tongue away from that cat."

"Annie's alive?"

The Sheriff is taken aback, and it shows on his face. "I thought you knew! No one told you? She's cut up bad, but she'll live thanks to you."

The tears return to her eyes, this time falling freely.

"Can I see her?"

Brackett smiles again and takes Laurie's hand.

"Absolutely."


	2. 2 - Anaconda-sized Revelations

_**Important to note, I think, that there are going to be heavy revisions to the characters here as well as changing thing so about the stories to the films. Let's be honest, the RZ Halloween films are a big fat mixed bag. The worst offender I believe are the portrayals of many of the characters, especially Laurie. Laurie in the movies is incredibly unlikeable, so I've had to rework her personality completely. She won't be very similar to Carpenter's Laurie either, however. This version is to be more of a dry, sarcastic take who takes some qualities from Tommy Jarvis from the Friday the 13th franchise, namely his love for classic horror and his ingenuity in extreme situations. Enjoy!**_

 _ **\- KH**_

 _ **July, 2006**_

 _ **16 months ago**._

 _It's times like these Laurie thanks Christ that her bedroom faces the backyard as opposed to the street in the front of the house. This way if her parents were to pull into the driveway, getting home from their weekly dinner date early, they won't be able to see the plumes of smoke puffing out of the open window of Laurie's bedroom._

 _Those weekly dinner dates... Every Sunday after her parents get out of church (which thankfully they don't make Laurie attend with them, as much as they wish she would) they would return to the house long enough to change out of their Sunday best before heading back out to the Catfish Cabin. A homey little chain resteraunt with a marvelous salad bar, and a "chuck your peanut shells onto the floor!" policy. Normally Laurie's parents would diversify, one week Carfish Cabin, the next Red Lobster, the next a tiny little Mom pop diner on the outskirts of Haddonfield. Recently, however, it was announced the Haddonfield chain of Catfish Cabin would be closing down for good, so for the past few months it's been Catfish Cabin every Sunday for the Strode family._

 _It doesn't make a difference where they eat out to Laurie as long as they're out, giving Laurie the opportunity to sneak a few cigarettes in her bedroom, butt planted on the windowsill, legs dangling- kicking away the puffs of smoke as she exhales. Zeppelin playing on her stereo, loud enough to take her out of her boredom, but not so loud as to mute the sounds of her parents' return home. She'd hear the sounds of the car pulling into the garage, then the slamming of car doors, but she wouldn't hear if someone were to approach the house on foot, gently closing the unlocked front door behind them, and creep their way up the stairs._

 _The unseen figure enters the room silently, slowly. They glide toward Laurie, breathing soft as not to alert her to their presence._

 _Laurie screams as she feels the hand wrap around the back of her neck, her hands coming up to yank the fingers away._

 _"Hey little girl, wanna suck some dick?"_

 _Annie's voice comes out doing its best impression of a gruff trucker. Laurie turns to her friend so she can make sure she sees her pointedly roll her eyes, then proceeds to smack the cheerleader on the shoulder._

 _"You bitch." Annie nods in agreement, and pulls Laurie into the room onto Laurie's bed. The two lay side by side passing the cigarette back and forth._

 _"You know that the fact that I snuck up on you on those creaky-ass stairs means you probably have the music up too loud. Or do you want to get caught? I mean if so you're trying too hard, all you have to do is go for a smoke while they're home or conveniently 'forget' to febreeze the hell outta your room one day."_

 _Laurie scoffs. "Yeah, because they're gonna walk home when they've got a perfectly good car with them." Annie lets her brow raise for a moment in assent. Laurie continues-_ _"Speaking of which, where's your car? I didn't hear you pull up." This Annie grins at, then rolls onto her side facing Laurie._

 _"Left it at home. Paul gave me a ride."_

 _Laurie's face squints in confusion and disgust._

 _"Paul Freedman? What the hell are you doing riding with that skeez?" Annie thumps Laurie's nose. "He's not a skeez, Laurie, he's sweet. He asked me out, actually."_

 _Laurie sits up so her body can expel the surprise and confusing anger through a series of burning, smoky coughs. Annie sits up along with her, patting her back, chuckling as she does. "You okay there, Laur?"_

 _Laurie swings her head toward Annie with that same confused anger clouding her face. "And you said yes?" Annie smiles, her puzzlement at Laurie's anger prevalent in the expression._

 _"Well yeah, why shouldn't I have? He's cute!"_

 _Laurie looks away from Annie again, and tries to push the emotions raging inside her (anger, sadness, jealousy? No, that can't be right.) from behind her eyes into the depths of her belly, to be dealt with later. She picks at the hem of her jeans as she speaks, sounding far more subdued. "I dunno, he just seems like a slimeball. Plus that haircut is just the worst. I mean a guy his age going for the Bieber fever crowd is just sad and a little creepy."_

 _Annie steals the cigarette from between Laurie's lips- a joking punishment- and hums in disagreement as she puffs on it before replying. "It's not_ that _bad. No worse than that billy joe cousin fucker that Lynda's banging. I mean his hair's longer than yours is, which might be fine if it didn't look like he dipped it in bacon grease every morning. And I've never heard you get pissy about him."_

 _Laurie rolls her eyes. "That's different. I love Lynda to death, but she's a super slut. She doesn't care who's filling that empty space in between her legs as long as someone is all hours of the day. You? The only empty place anyone should be filling in you is the one in your heart."_

 _Towards the end of her statement, Laurie embraces the cheesiness of what she's saying and fades into her best impression of Doctor Phil. Which is surprisingly good. Good enough to crack Annie up, her laughs brightening Laurie's mood enough for a genuine smile to take her face._

 _"Wow, that's the gayest shit I think you've ever said!" Annie pushes out after the laughing has subsided a bit._

 _"Bet I can top it!" Laurie turns fully toward Annie and adopts a look with so much earnestness, so much nervousness you'd think she was being completely genuine. "Annie... I've been meaning to tell you for so long, but I've just been so scared to. I didn't want to lose you, but I just can't keep it in any longer. See... I wanna bang you. Fast and hard, wet and sloppy, I just wanna get witchya, and take yo pictcha. My homeboys try to warn me, but that butt you got makes me so horny! I just hope you can understand."_

 _It's definitely a joke, it sent Annie into even more peals of laughter, so it's obviously definitely a joke, but it feels odd as it comes out of Laurie's mouth. Maybe because the funniest jokes are often riddled with truth. Is that the reason the conversation about Paul made her so on edge? Laurie's never had to confront the possibility of Annie dating someone else since she'd never dated before now. If she didn't have to consider the prospect of losing her shot with Annie, she didn't have to consider the fact that she wanted a shot with her in the first place. With Annie forever single, there was never the danger of waiting too long, so Laurie never took the time to come to terms with the very real, romantic love for her best friend in her own head. So this? This is hitting her like a ton of bricks. Damn you Sir-Mix-a-Lot, for your bodacious soul-bearing rhymes!_

 _Now that Laurie had come to realize how deep her feelings for Annie ran, she'd have to shoulder the burden of loving her without being able to act. Annie's apparently just entered into her first relationship, Laurie didn't want to ruin that for her, and in all probability get shot down in the process. Besides, Laurie herself still needs some time to process all of this. So she'd wait. Annie will keep the memory of her first relationship unsullied by the drama of surprise love confessions from her best friend, and once Paul was gone Laurie would sweep her off her feet!_

It's not like I'll have to wait that long, anyway. _Laurie thought to herself._ Annie and Paul Freedman? It'll last a month tops.

 _Well over a year and a half later..._

As Sheriff Brackett wheels Laurie through the halls of the hospital, the girl can't calm the storm of voices (all her own) raging within her head at this moment.

 _Annie's alive. What... what does this mean? Paul is gone, I could tell her how I feel. But he's gone as in dead. I couldn't tell her right now, that'd be like taking advantage of her, right?_

Another of her voices cuts in-

 _Not necessarily. Just tell her how you feel, but make sure she knows that you don't want to pressure her into anything, especially not now. Just that you couldn't take not getting it out there after everything, knowing now that at any time something could happen to take that chance away from you forever. It wouldn't be a bad thing for her, either, even if she doesn't feel the same way. You'd just be letting her know exactly how much you care about her. How much you love her. Even if she couldn't return those feelings, it would be nice to know how much she's cherished. I think if the shoe was on the other foot you'd feel good knowing that. Even in these circumstances. Right?_

Lee stops the chair as they reach the closed door to Annie's hospital room. He leans over to whisper into Laurie's ear-

"Just be ready, kid. It looks pretty bad."

Laurie nods absently. Speaking with the same void of presence. "I saw her at the house. I found her there, covered in blood. I know how bad it is."

Lee nods, then straightens up. Reaching out to push the door open.

Somehow the sight of Annie laying unconscious in that hospital bed, cleaned of any of the blood she had been covered with before, face swollen and stitches holding it all together, is even worse than the sight of her bloodied, half dead, on the hardwood floor of the house.

Laurie lets out a dry sob before Lee rolls her into the room, parking the girl next to the hospital bed. "You want a minute alone with her?"

Laurie nods, eyes staying on the broken form of the girl she loves more than anything. The girl she almost lost. Lee nods himself, then leaves the two alone.

 _I never should have agreed to babysit for her. If I just told her to fuck off and babysit the kid herself she might never have been hurt. I should have gotten there sooner. I could have protected her._

 _No, that's stupid. It wouldn't have made a difference. You couldn't have known it was going to happen any more than anyone else. Don't be a jackass._

That voice sounded suspiciously like Annie's. Of course. Even when unconscious she's Laurie's voice of reason.

 _One thing I know, though. I can't tell her. Not now. Too much has happened and we'll be lucky to be functioning human women after this shit. Add on top of it my personal shit? That's just a burden she doesn't need right now. Fuck, I can barely shoulder it, and I didn't come nearly as close to death as she did tonight. I won't have scars on my face for the rest of my life reminding me of it. She needs support right now, I don't need to ask more of her._

Laurie's train of thought is broken by the sound of Annie croaking out the first words she's spoken since the attack-

"Laurie?"


End file.
